Let Me Live That Fantasy
by lovetheblazer
Summary: AU where Chris is one of the famous people and Darren is the civilian on his team on Hollywood Game Night. Inspired by Chris Colfer's recent stint on HGN. CrissColfer RPF.
1. Let Me Live That Fantasy

"Welcome back to Hollywood Game Night!" Jane Lynch said, staring directly into the camera. "Here's where we are. After four games, the score is Team Kay: 20 and Team Darren: 20."

Darren let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding, relieved that he hadn't led his team to total disaster, at least thus far. Chris turned to him, holding up his hand for a high five, and Darren happily obliged, thrilled to have any excuse to touch him.

"Don't get too comfortable, because we have one last game tonight that might turn everything upside down and we call it I Love a Charade," Jane announced, gesturing to the screen behind her with the game's name written on it. "So Team Kay, I will give you a category and then I will give one of you a title that fits in that category. Without using words or sounds, you need to get your team member to identify the title I show you. When one of your teammates guesses right, you sit down and they take over as the performer. You'll earn five points for each correct answer in this round, so now is the chance to jack up your score.

Darren watched nervously as the other team played the first round of charades, moving quickly through their category, Sports Movies, managing to get an impressive seven correct answers in ninety seconds. They were going to tough to beat, but Darren wasn't going down without a fight.

"Alright, Team Darren, it's your turn. You need eight correct answers to win and continue on to the bonus round. Who do choose for your first performer?" Jane asked.

"Uhh Rosie," Darren threw out, still too nervous to come up with any real strategy. It was impossible to think clearly when he was tucked between Chris Colfer and Penny Marshall on a couch with no fewer than four different cameras trained on him, recording his flop-sweat in multiple angles on live television. He kept trying to block that little piece of information from his mind, but every time he started to relax, Jane Lynch would announce it all over again as if in capital letters: LIVE TELEVISION. It was no small miracle that Darren hadn't peed himself yet.

"Okay Rosie, come on up. Let's put ninety seconds on the clock. The titles on this list are all animated movies."

Darren bounced up and down in his seat a little, feeling relieved. Animated movies? That was a category practically tailor made for him. And he felt a little creepy admitting how he knew it but he knew Chris should be aces at animated movies too. He had a feeling that animated movies would mean Disney movies which were based on fairytales and Chris was possibly the only person he knew that was obsessed with fairytales as him, if his book The Land of Stories was anything to go by. Darren had read his book cover to cover, more times than he cared to admit. He _might_ have a teeny tiny crush on Chris, if he was being completely honest with himself. Still, he was trying to play it cool, even though Chris was sitting mere inches away from him, smelling good enough to eat and wearing a slim fit short sleeved shirt that showed off the biceps of a Greek god. But that was no big deal, right? Darren was _handling_it.

"Here is your first clue," Jane said, showing a card to Rosie. Darren leaned forward, watching as Rosie pointed to her nose. "Pinocchio!" Darren shouted.

"Correct - come on up," Jane gestured to Darren, who bounded to his feet, praying he wouldn't get a title that would prove impossible or force him to look idiotic while acting it out. Jane showed him his card and he internally cheered, since he'd given the easiest possible one. He looked directly at Chris, pointed to the ceiling.

"Up!" Chris spat out immediately. Darren grinned, accepting a high five as Chris jogged towards him to take his spot.

"Oh crap," Chris moaned when Jane showed him his title, clapping a hand over his mouth as Jane reminded him that he couldn't use any words. He stared at Darren, Rosie, and Penny for a second, the pointed to his foot.

"Shoe – The Old Woman and the Shoe?" Rosie guessed.

"Happy Feet?" Penny tried.

Chris shook his head, frustrated, before sliding off his shoe and miming running away. "Oh Cinderella!" Darren recognized.

"Yes!" Chris did an adorable little victory hop that made Darren fall just a tiny bit more in love with him.

"Okay Darren, you're up again," Jane prompted. He looked at the card, panic swelling when he realized this one would be a little more difficult. Deciding that dignity was overrated, especially when there was money on the line, he immediately dropped to all fours, opening his mouth wide in what he hoped looked like a terrifying roar (and not demonic possession as he feared it might).

"Dog? Puppy Kittens?" came the guesses from his team.

Darren shook his head, holding his hands up like claws, trying to look vaguely menacing.

"Lion?" Chris guessed.

Darren feverishly nodded yes, pointing to the top of his head and trying to draw a crown shape.

"The Lion King!" Penny Marshall guessed. Darren leapt to his feet gratefully, taking a seat beside Chris as Penny struggled to her feet, complaining about how she couldn't move like the "young things" on her team.

She took one glance at the card and quickly mimed driving.

"Cars!" Chris answered immediately, bounding up to Jane. Chris looked at the title. He made his hands into a makeshift pillow and laid his cheek against it, before dropping.

"Sleeping Beauty," Darren called out before Chris hit the ground.

Darren switched places with Chris again, barely suppressing a chuckle as he saw the title of his second favorite Disney movie, The Little Mermaid. The first thing that popped into his head was her seashell bra, so Darren immediately clutched his hands to his chest, one over each nipple.

"The Little Mermaid," Chris answered so quickly that it stunned Darren. He wasn't sure how to explain his vulcan mind meld with Chris and he could see the other team whispering to one another (about his charades prowess, he presumed) as he walked back to the couch.

Chris was flailing about, trying desperately to get something across that clearly had Penny and Rosie stumped. He mimed kicking a ball, then what looked like hopscotch, before doing some sort of elaborate clapping game with his hands.

"Recess?" Rosie guessed. "Uhh playground? Kids?"

"Toy Story!" Darren finally connected.

"Yes!" Chris shouted victoriously, just as Jane announced. "And...time! That's eight."

The entire team leapt off the couch, with Darren first to his feet. He impulsively threw his arms around Chris, with Rosie and Penny joining him seconds later for an impromptu group hug.

"Congratulations, Darren – you're going to the bonus round!" The crowd cheered. "But of course," Jane gestured to the other team, "that means it's the end of the road for Team Kay."

Darren tried to catch his breath while Jane told Kay about her consolation prize, thanking her for being such a good sport. "You two make a good team," Darren heard Rosie whisper to Chris, motioning towards him. _How was this his life right now? _Darren couldn't believe things were going so well for him.

"Well now, Darren," Jane called, startling him. "Come here, mister," she beckoned. Darren slid into placing, grinning wolfishly as Chris cheered for him.

"Congratulations, you now get the chance to win twenty-five thousand dollars!" Jane announced, clapping him on the shoulder. "You're going to be playing Celebrity Name Game where you'll be asked to name celebrities based on clues given to you by one of our esteemed celebrities here tonight. But before you choose a celebrity to help you out in the final round, tell me – what will you do with the money if you win twenty-five grand tonight?"

"Uhh, that's a great question," Darren stalled, trying to come up with an answer that would sound charming or noble or whatever else might somehow magically convince Chris Colfer to make out with him (hey, a guy could dream, right?).

Jane smiled back at him patiently. "Let me guess – a new car?"

Darren laughed nervously. No brilliant answers were forthcoming, so he finally decided honesty was his only play. "No, not a new car. If I win, I'd invest the money in our digital production company." He mentally congratulated himself on "digital production company" which sounded way classier than the unvarnished truth which was "YouTube videos I make with my friends about Harry Potter and elaborate dick jokes."

"Oh, that seems a very sensible plan. What's the name of your company?" Jane asked.

"We're called Team Starkid," Darren answered, smiling as he heard Joey, Lauren, and Julia let out whoops in the audience. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chris clap a hand over his mouth, eyes widening in recognition. That was strange.

"Amazing! Well, when we come back, Darren will announce which celebrity he's choosing to help him in his bid to win twenty-five thousand dollars! Stick around, we'll be back with more good times on Hollywood Game Night!" Jane threw it to commercial, dancing as the theme music began to play. The other celebrities jumped off the couches and joined them, dancing along with varying degrees of dexterity.

The music stopped and hair and makeup people descended to touch everyone up during the commercial break. Darren was surprised by someone tapping his shoulder. He whirled to see Chris peering at him with a triumphant grin.

"I _knew_ I recognized you from somewhere!" Chris cheered. "You're Harry Freaking Potter, aren't you? From A Very Potter Musical?"

Darren's mouth hung open in shock, his pulse pounding in his ears. _Chris Colfer knew what AVPM was? Chris had watched him on YouTube?_ "I...yeah?" he managed, mind still reeling. "You've seen our musical?"

"Of course I have," Chris said enthusiastically. "I've seen the sequel too. Are you guys still going to a third one? What else are you working on?"

Darren's brain was still stubbornly stuck on the part where Chris Colfer had actually seen something he was involved in. He wondered idly if he should pinch himself, since he was clearly having a very good dream, although one that he had no desire to wake up from. "I'm sorry...but _you_ have actually seen our silly little show? Are you punking me? Or do they like write down a bio on each contestant for you guys to look at backstage so you can pretend to be knowledgeable about us?"

"You don't believe me?" Chris scoffed with mock horror. "You think I'm making it up?"

"Yeah, honestly I do," Darren gaped, still incredulous.

"How dare you? I'm your teammate," Chris scolded teasingly.

"Sorry, man, just being honest. You'll have to prove it to me." Before Darren could say more, the red light started flashing, signaling that they'd be back from commercial in 10 seconds. Jane walked over to Darren, maneuvering them back into place in front of the cameras. But as Darren was pulled away, Chris whispered "this isn't over" in his ear. It honestly took every last bit of willpower Darren possessed to keep from melting into a puddle of sexual frustration on the floor right then and there.

"And welcome back to Hollywood Game Night! Don't forget that you can play along at home as well, just go to our website at . Now Darren, before the break, you and I were talking about choosing someone who has a handle on pop culture to help you play Celebrity Name Game for a chance to win twenty five thousand dollars. It can be any celebrity here tonight: Chris, Kaley, Taryn, Donald, Rosie, or Penny. Darren, have you made your decision? "

"I have," Darren beamed, watching as Penny and Rosie both pointed to Chris, as if Darren had ever considered choosing anyone else.

"Audience, who do you think he should choose?" Jane asked, smiling as the members cheered out various names, although Chris' name clearly rose above the rest.

"Okay Darren, who's going to be helping you play tonight?"

"I choose..." Darren said slowly, enjoying drawing out the suspense. "The amazing Chris Colfer, naturally."

Chris bounded to his feet with a cocky smirk.. "Well of course you do – that's who I would choose," Jane said, wrapping an arm around Chris' shoulder. "That's my boy. Now Chris, if you don't screw this up royally Darren has a chance at twenty-five thousand dollars..." Chris winced comically, bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking anxious about how he'd fare. On Jane's other side, Darren clapped his hands together, seeing through Chris' false modesty. The fates had been on his side so far tonight and Darren was pretty confident that he and Chris were on the same wavelength. He just hoped it would be enough to win him the big prize.

"...and you can earn an additional ten thousand dollars for the charity of your choice," Jane added. "What is that charity?"

"It's the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America," Chris replied, nodding soberly while the audience clapped for him.

"What a wonderful foundation! Okay guys, here's how the game works: Chris, you are giving the clues. We'll show the name of a famous living person. You need to get Darren to say that person's name and you'll need to get ten correct answers in ninety seconds to win the twenty five thousand dollars. Now, you _can_ pass on a name, but it'll eventually come back to haunt you. Are you ready?" Jane asked.

Darren nodded, perching on a stool as directed.

"Take your spot, Mister Christopher," Jane prompted, pointing to the couch. Chris jogged over to the couch, murmuring okays. He clutched his chest dramatically as he sat down, appearing genuinely terrified that we would fail Darren. It was incredibly endearing that he was taking it so seriously. More seriously than even he was, Darren realized. Still he felt safe, very assured that he was in good hands with Chris at the helm.

"Okay, let's put ninety seconds on the clock."

"Oh my god I'm so nervous," Chris squeaked.

"It's okay, we've totally got this," Darren soothed. The crowd chuckled at that.

"It's usually the celebrity that plays it cool," Jane deadpanned, drawing more laughter from the audience. "Buck up, Chris," she teased and Chris finally cracked a smile.

"Okay your ninety seconds begins right now!"

Darren honed in on Chris as he stuttered out his first clue. "Uhh uhh, Silence of the Lambs."

"Anthony Hopkins." Darren heard a dinging sound and knew they were off to a great start.

"She has her own talk show – she's in Chicago," Chris hinted.

"Oprah?"

"No no, she's royalty."

"Queen Latifah." Bingo - another ding, another correct answer.

"He was in Knocked-"

"Seth Rogen," Darren interrupted, before Chris could even finish the movie title. They were on fire.

"Ooh okay, first Captain Kirk in Star Trek," Chris said, starting to sound more confident.

"William Shatner, duh."

Chris laughed, despite himself, looking up to the screen as it displayed the next clue. "Forrest Gump, Castaw-"

"Tom Hanks," Darren spit out. They were halfway there and it felt like they were moving pretty quickly. Butterflies started fluttering in his stomach as it slowly dawned on Darren that he might actually walk out of the studio with twenty five grand.

"Uhh he was on 30 Rock."

"Alec Baldwin?"

Chris shook his head. "He talk like this," he said, adopting an accent in a ridiculous impression of Tracy's character.

Darren felt hysterical laughter bubble up. "Tracey Jordan – wait crap, Tracy Morgan, I mean!"

"Good okay, one of the Charlie's angels – badass one," Chris said.

"Lucy Liu."

"Scary books."

"Stephen King?" Darren felt his heart leap as he heard the ding. _Two more, they only needed two more correct answers._

"A wrestler..." Chris began.

_Ahh crap,_ Darren thought. They were doomed after all.

"Big guy, wore yellow spandex, long blonde hair," Chris summarized succinctly.

"Uhh Hulk Hogan?" Darren took a stab in the dark, naming one of the few wrestlers he vaguely remembered from his childhood.

"Yes!" Chris cheered, followed by Jane letting them know they only had one more clue left to go.

"In 'The Hangover' – the hot one," Chris blurted out.

"Bradley Cooper?" Darren guessed, praying that he and Chris had the same taste in men.

"We did it!" Chris screamed, jumping off the couch and bounding over to Darren excitedly.

"Wow! Ten in a row correct with a solid twenty seconds to spare – I think you guys might have just set a new Hollywood Game Night record," Jane enthused, patting Darren on the shoulder.

"We won?" Darren gasped, mind reeling. "I get twenty five grand?"

"Congratulations, Darren, you've earned it. With the help of your teammate Chris Colfer, that is."

"Oh my god, I love you," Darren yelled, enveloping Chris in a bear hug, only dimly aware of confetti falling. He continued to keep his an arm slung around Chris as Jane thanked all the guests one last time and wrapped up the show, thinking there was nowhere on earth he'd rather be at the moment.

* * *

"Congrats!" Chris said, coming back over to Darren once the lights went down and the cameras were off.

"Thanks, man!" Darren replied giddily. "That was some excellent clue-giving."

Chris snorted self-deprecatingly. "I don't know about that. I think it was mainly your excellent guessing that won this thing,"

"How about I just say that we were both in the zone, okay? But I couldn't have done it without you, truly." Darren smiled at Chris, feeling incredibly grateful for the experience they'd just shared. "Seriously, how can I ever repay you?"

"I mean...you did just come into a lot of money. You could at least _offer_ to split the prize money with me, since my prize money is going to charity," Chris said impassively.

"Uhh, I..." Darren managed, vaguely horrified and trying to suss out whether or not ponying up half the cash was proper etiquette in this case, even though his teammate was a celebrity who presumably made much more money than that in one week on set.

"Oh my GOD, I'm kidding," Chris burst out. "Your face was _hysterical_ though," he chuckled.

"You got me, Colfer," Darren got out between peals of laughter. "Well played."

Chris shrugged his shoulders, running a hand through his hair casually in a way that Darren found incredibly alluring. "You can at least let me express my gratitude to you by taking you to dinner?" Darren blurted out. He wasn't sure where he found the courage to extend the invitation, aside from the fact that it wasn't exactly something he'd thought through before doing.

"Hmm," Chris deliberated, looking Darren over as if he could read his intentions on his face.

"Just a friendly meal with a teammate," Darren reassured. "I don't have anything nefarious up my sleeve, I promise. And dinner's on me, in case that wasn't already obvious."

"Yeah okay, why not..." Chris finally agreed. "Do you have a place in mind? I'll just follow you in my car."

"I'm open to suggestions..." And Darren knew he was pushing his luck, but he still extended his arm to Chris, saying "Lead the way, good sir."

Thankfully, Chris was nothing if not a good sport and he hooked his arm through Darren's after only a second's hesitation, leading them through the maze-like studio hallways and out into the parking lot.

* * *

"So how is tonight living up to the fantasy you had in your head?" Chris asked Darren over a glass of wine an hour and a half later.

"It's better than I imagined, if such a thing is possible," Darren answered honestly.

Chris just rolled his eyes, looking skeptical.

"What you don't believe me? Do I need to prove what a fanboy I am of yours? Because I'm dead serious, Christopher Paul Colfer," Darren gasped.

"Okay, that's just creepy," Chris chuckled. "How do you know my middle name?"

"Let's just say I have my sources." Darren laughed maniacally, rubbing his hands together.

"Ooh, I'm scared now," Chris mocked.

Darren took a sip of wine. "Okay your turn, hotshot."

"My turn...to what?" Chris frowned.

"Your turn to answer the question. How does tonight compare to your fantasy of dining with the one and only Harry Freaking Potter?"

"Oh god..."

"I'm not kidding – I want you to start at the beginning and leave nothing out. What did you always dream I would do? Did your fantasy include me singing 'Not Alone' or 'Granger Danger'?" Darren deadpanned.

"No songs, but I did dream you'd call me super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot..." Chris bantered back.

"Ohh, touche!" Darren laughed, clapping his hands together. "Well played, sir." Chris crinkled his nose adorably in response. Darren felt his whole body flush warm with pleasure, marveling at how well the night was going. If Chris were a mere civilian Darren had met on , he'd be 90% sure he was getting laid by this point in the date. He'd rarely found a person he felt so at ease with and as far as he was concerned, their chemistry was undeniable. So of course he'd found a connection with a celebrity like Chris Colfer who was so incredibly out of his league that it was laughable. That was just Darren's luck.

Chris tilted his head, peering at Darren strangely. "You got serious on me all of the sudden. What are you thinking about?"

Darren wasn't sure if it was the two glasses of wine he'd already consumed, the adrenaline of having just been on television and winning twenty-five grand, or just his usual talent for putting his foot in his mouth, but he found himself blurting out the truth. "I was just thinking about how much I want to kiss you and whether or not there's any chance you might let me."

Chris' jaw dropped and he blushed beet red.

"Shit, sorry," Darren said, clapping a hand over his mouth. "Did I say that out loud?"

"You...did," Chris replied evenly. "But no, chances aren't good that I'll let you kiss me."

Darren's shoulders sagged in defeat, but before he could exhale a sigh, Chris spoke again. "However, I might kiss you at the end of the night, _if_ you play your cards right."

"Really?" Darren's eyes went wide as saucers. He picked up his half full glass of wine, downing the rest of it in one long gulp. He set the empty glass on the table triumphantly. "Well I'm all done now. How about we head out?"

Chris laughed long and hard. "Hey, what's the rush?" he teased. "The night's young. We haven't even had any dessert yet."

"I'm pretty sure I've still got half a cheesecake and some strawberries in my fridge at home," Darren offered, eyes sparkling.

Chris didn't respond, instead holding up a hand and signaling to the waiter. "We'd like the check please."

Darren could scarcely believe it - he wasn't sure if it was fate, years of good karma being paid off all at once, or just a really elaborate fantasy but he wasn't about to question his good fortune. If it was a dream, he just hoped his alarm wouldn't go off soon because he'd hate to miss the best part.

* * *

I've already gotten a few prompts for other stories in this universe, so there will be more at some point, I assume. This story is complete so any fics I write will deal with Darren and Chris' relationship a bit down the road. If you have an idea you want to prompt, you can either send me a private message here or send me an ask on Tumblr (my username is lovetheblazer). If you enjoyed it, it would be lovely if you'd take a moment to leave review.


	2. Caught Up In a Dream

alittledizzy prompted: non-celeb Darren visiting Chris on the Glee set. Part of the Fantasy 'verse (AU where Chris is famous & Darren is the civilian he first met on Hollywood Game Night.)

Note: There are a few minor Glee spoilers for New New York in this fic.

* * *

Darren's episode aired of Hollywood Game Night aired on a Monday evening. He expected to get a few calls from friends, maybe a couple of Facebook messages, but he was utterly unprepared for the response he got. Besides the whole "whoa man, you were on TV!" and "so since you won, can I borrow a few bucks" joking responses, the common theme was "wow, you and that Chris guy were amazing together." It wasn't surprising, but given that he'd spent the last three weeks having undercover dates (and even a few sleepovers) with Chris, it cut a little close to home. Chris had made it clear from their second date that he wanted to keep there relationship private for the time being, although he was quick to clarify that he wasn't embarrassed of Darren. On the contrary, he was protective of Darren and their budding relationship. He'd explained that more than one of his relationships had ended due to a regular guy not being able to handle the pressure of dating a celebrity. Chris didn't want that to happen this time. Neither did Darren.

So Darren tried his best to be understanding and patient. He'd only had fleeting brushes with fame as the star of the Starkid musical that went viral, which was nothing like what Chris experienced on a daily basis. He knew internet fame was far different than being one of the most popular and recognizable characters of a hit television show. Three weeks in and Darren _still _felt a bit starstruck around Chris. He would do anything to protect what they had together even if it meant that their date nights were mostly reduced to takeout, movies on Chris' couch, and sex. There was no doubt in Darren's mind that he was still getting a ridiculously good deal.

* * *

Tuesday night, Chris called Darren as he left set. "Hi," he answered with a giant smile on his face. He'd been a grinning idiot since the moment they met and he simply couldn't find it in him to care.

"Hey you," Chris said in the low, tender voice. "So I got released from shooting pretty early tonight."

"I noticed. I think we can put those hours to good use, don't you?" Darren practically purred.

"It's like you're reading my mind," Chris chuckled. "Come over?"

"I'm on my way. Want me to pick up dinner or anything?"

"Nah, that's okay. I'll just order something. Thai okay?"

"Perfect."

"I'm going to shower once I get home," Chris continued. Darren let his head thump back against the couch, closing his eyes and allowing an indulgent minute with that visual image. "I need to scrub all the makeup off from filming today so I probably won't be out before you get here. I'll leave a key under the mat, so you can just let yourself in, okay?"

"Why Christopher Paul Colfer, is that even safe? Darren teased. "Who knows what kind of crazy, obsessed fans might sneak in."

"You're a fan and I'm pretty sure you're obsessed with me so...I'll take my chances," Chris laughed. "See you soon?"

"Can't wait."

* * *

Darren arrived on schedule about twenty minutes later. He found the key under the mat as promised and let himself in to Chris' palatial house. He toed off his shoes in the entry way, knowing how obsessive Chris was about keeping the carpets clean. He sat down on the couch, giving Brian a quick scratch behind the ears. There was a bottle of wine, two wine glasses, and a corkscrew sitting on the coffee table. Stuck to the bottle of wine was a pink post-it note that read "help yourself." Darren didn't need to be told twice.

He looked around for the television remote, thinking he might watch Sports Center while he waited for Chris. While he was still searching, he heard the faint sounds of singing coming from the end of the hall. Darren had never heard Chris sing anywhere besides on his television, so he crept down the hall stealthily, until he could just make out the melody and Chris' soaring voice over the sounds of running water.

_Touching you, touching me_

_touching you, god you're touching me_

Darren joined in on the chorus, rolling his eyes a little as he realizes that Chris' voice was much better suited to hitting the high notes in this song than his was.

_I believe in a thing called love_

_Just listen to the rhythm of my heart_

_There's a chance we could make it now_

_We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down_

_I believe in a thing called love_

Suddenly, Darren heard the water switch off and Chris stopped singing. "Shit," he murmured under his breath, pulling his knees to his chin, hunched in the corner of the hallway with his back against the wall.

"Seriously, Darren?" Chris called from the bathroom, door still closed. "I give you the key to get into the house and you reward me with spying on me in the shower?"

Darren stayed silent for a moment, hoping that Chris would think he was gone or couldn't hear him.

"I know you're out there, Darren. You're totally busted," Chris yelled a second later.

"Fine," Darren huffed. "But I'll have you know that there was no stalking or peeping. I just thought you might want a duet partner?"

"Oh my god, you're so ridiculous," Chris laughed. Before Darren could respond, the door swung open, revealing a blushing Chris with a towel slung low around his waist. His skin was pink and shining and droplets of water clung to the muscled planes of his chest and arms.

"Oh fuck," Darren groaned, shamelessly ogling Chris' exposed skin. He staggered to feet, eyes still locked on Chris. "Hi," he finally managed, dizzy with sudden want.

"Hi creeper," Chris murmured without any heat behind it. "Having fun?"

"I am now," Darren grinned.

"I'm going to get dressed."

"Killjoy," Darren pouted. "It's not like I haven't see you naked before."

"Yes, but I'm starving and we need food first. It'll be a little awkward to have food delivered in the nude," Chris teased, padding down the hallway towards his bedroom. "Go pour me some wine and I'll meet you out there in a second, okay?"

"Fine."

* * *

An hour later, the coffee table was littered with takeout boxes and they' were both stuffed, each sipping on a second glass of wine. Darren's feet were tucked up under him on the couch with his head resting lightly on Chris' shoulder.

"So what do you want to watch?" Chris asked. "Did you pick a movie while I was showering or were you too busy being creepy?"

Darren ignored the question in favor of nuzzling his lips into the curve of where Chris' neck and shoulder met. "You smell so good," Darren moaned, smiling against his bare skin as he felt Chris shiver.

"That didn't exactly answer my question," Chris chuckled, but made no attempt to move.

"Oh shit, what time is it!" Darren exclaimed suddenly, head snapping up.

Chris frowned. "Just after 8:30, why? Got somewhere to be?"

"No, but we're missing Glee! There's a new episode tonight, right?"

"Are you serious?" Chris groaned. "You don't need to watch it, I already sang for you once tonight, after all."

"I'm dead serious," Darren said. "I never joke about Glee. Did you DVR it?"

"Yeah, I always set it to record, even though I rarely watch it."

"Why wouldn't you? You don't even like your own show?" Darren was horrified.

"No, of course I like it. I just get really self-conscious watching myself and I read the scripts ahead of time so I already know what's going to happen," Chris shrugged.

"But the last episode ended on a cliffhanger and I've been dying to know what happens and it's been off the air for almost six weeks," Darren babbled. "I didn't even think to set it to record before I left my place. Please?"

"Oh alright," Chris sighed, digging the remote out of a small decorative box on the side table. "But you better make it worth my while later."

"It's a promise," Darren whispered into Chris' ear.

* * *

"So I got a lot of questions about you on set today," Chris announced as he fast forwarded through the commercials with the DVR remote.

"Oh yeah?" Darren asked with a grin, resting his chin on his hands. "What kind of questions?"

"Well, Jane saw us leave together after we taped your episode of Hollywood Game Night and wanted to know if we hung out."

"And what did you say?" Darren prompted.

"I told her the truth – that you _begged_ to take me to dinner as a treat and I agreed begrudgingly."

"Begrudgingly? Hey now, I didn't exactly kidnap you and I seem to remember you being plenty willing," Darren chided. "But you said 'a lot of questions' so I'm assuming there were more?"

"Lea watched the episode and told me that she was pretty sure that 'the cute curly-haired boy with the heart eyes was totally in love with me and I should take him out for drinks immediately' and I quote."

"Lea Michele called me cute?" Darren sputtered. "Oh my god."

"Maybe you'd rather she take you out for drinks?" Chris teased with raised eyebrows.

"Nope sorry, I'm afraid I'm already taken," Darren replied, grabbing Chris' free hand and lacing their fingers together. "Please, continue," he gestured.

Chris hit pause with the remote. "I thought you wanted to watch Glee?"

"It can wait a few minutes," Darren said with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm quite enjoying hearing about how the Glee cast knows who I am. It's a quite a vivid fantasy, I have to admit."

"But I'm still your favorite, right?" Chris practically growled, a slight edge of possessiveness in his voice.

"Do you even need to ask?" Darren asked. "Of course you are." He leaned forward, tugging Chris to him for a slow, sweet kiss. "You're the only one I want to kiss, after all," he whispered against Chris' lips.

"Excellent, let's keep it that way, okay? I'm not down with sharing my boyfriends, despite what US Weekly magazine might have led you to believe."

"Good to know," Darren smiled, his cheeks flushed with pleasure.

"Aside from that, I think Kevin, Jenna, and Naya all commented that you and I made a really good team and that I should totally tap that."

"I'm assuming you told them you already have, right?" Darren teased.

"Not exactly... But I may have told them I was thinking about giving you a set tour as a little token of my gratitude for helping me win that money for charity? Assuming you're interested, that is..."

"Wait seriously? You want me to come visit you on set?" Darren gaped.

"...only if you want to," Chris replied, trying for casual. But Darren could see a tinge of hesitation and maybe even fear hiding behind a tentative smile.

"Are you kidding me? I'd love to," Darren reassured, throwing his arms around Chris' neck and hugging him tightly. "When?" he asked.

"Thursday afternoon, if you're free?"

"For you? I've got all the time in the world..."

* * *

Two days later, Darren pulled up on the Paramount lot, heart hammering with a dizzying blend of anxiety and excitement. He parked in a vacant spot and climbed out of his beat up car, waiting patiently for Chris to meet him and walk him onto set. In the meantime, he bent down, smoothing his hair one final time with a little help from the side view mirror.

When he looked up again, Chris was driving towards him in a golf cart and his heart started fluttering for a whole different reason. Chris' was wearing a sleeveless black top and extremely tight black leather pants. His hair was spiked up and traces of black kohl eyeliner completed the rock and roll look. Darren's mouth went dry and he had to remind himself to keep breathing at how good Chris looked.

Darren shook his head, trying to force his brain to focus on something other than Chris' body. There was too much at stake today for him to make a complete fool of himself, even if all he really wanted to do was push Chris into the nearest trailer or broom closet and screw him senseless. So he decided to fake it for now, plastering an innocent smile on his face as he jogged over to meet Chris.

"Hi," Chris beamed at him. "Want a ride?"

"Of course," Darren said, climbing in beside him and trying not to stare.

"So, are you excited?"

"I...no, I mean, yes? Fuck, what was the question, again?" Darren said distractedly, eyes glued to Chris' exposed chest and the subtle shimmer of body glitter he could see along the hollow of his throat and collarbones.

"Are you okay? You're looking at me weirdly..." Chris said with a nearly straight face, although Darren could see one corner of his mouth quirk up slightly.

"I was going to play it totally cool, but then you show up wearing that and..._fuck_."

"Why do you think I wanted you to come on Thursday?" Chris taunted with a raised eyebrow. "Want to see my trailer?"

"Oh god yes," Darren groaned.

* * *

They'd only had time for a frantic twenty minutes of making out before Chris was needed on set to start filming. Darren just tried to hold on, letting Chris lead the kissing, letting his use his body in any and every way he wanted. Needless to say, he was more than a little worked up by the time they broke apart. Chris sauntered off to the bathroom to check his makeup and Darren couldn't help the quiet keening noise that escaped him at the view of the things the impossibly tight leather pants were doing for Chris' ass. He wasn't sure if he would survive the set visit at this rate.

Thankfully, Darren was feeling significantly better by the time they pulled up at the soundstage that housed Kurt's New York loft apartment. Chris quickly introduced him to a few of the cast and crew members milling about, before walking him over to the craft services table and directing him to sit down next to Lea.

"I've got to go film for a bit, but I'll be back, okay?" Chris said, eyeing Lea warily as if he expected her to pounce at any moment. "Are you going to be okay hanging out with Lea for a bit?"

"He'll be _fine_," Lea said with an exaggerated eye roll. "I won't bite."

"You better not," Chris muttered, shooting her an unreadable look.

"I'm good, Chris. Have fun!" Darren reassured.

"So," Lea said, the second Chris was out of earshot, "Darren Criss, what's your story?"

"Story?" Darren asked, trying not to panic.

"Yeah, obviously you met Chris on Jane's show. But tell me about yourself? Are you straight? Single? How old are you?" Lea asked, leaning forward, hyper-focused on every word he had to say.

"I'm twenty-seven, gay, and single, yeah," Darren answered nervously. He felt a little weird about saying he was single. He and Chris had talked about it a little bit, and basically decided that Darren would do his best to keep a low profile on set to make sure a random crew member didn't leak anything about him or tip off the paparazzi. But Chris reassured Darren that he trusted his cast mates, so he was under no obligation to lie to them directly if he didn't want to. Single wasn't the whole truth, but Lea was a little scary up close and in person and Darren was trying to stick to one word answers for the time being (at least until he got more comfortable).

"That's great!" she clapped excitedly. "Do you like Chris? It seemed like you did on the show."

"I...yeah, he's really nice. We had a good time," Darren managed.

"But like, do you have a crush on him?" Lea pressed on, undeterred. "It's okay, you can totally tell me. I've totally had a crush on him before and he doesn't even play for my team."

This was something Darren could have a little bit more fun with, he decided. He leaned forward, looking at her very seriously. "Okay, promise you won't tell?" he whispered.

"I swear," she nodded, eyes wide.

"I totally have a crush on him. I could barely breathe when I saw him in that costume," Darren said, conveniently leaving out the part where they made out in Chris' trailer for twenty minutes.

"I knew it!" Lea exclaimed triumphantly. "I think he might like you too. You should totally ask him to get a drink or dinner with you when you leave this afternoon." Darren tried not to snicker as he watched Chris storm towards her, shaking his head.

"I don't know," Darren sighed, feigning indecision. Before he could say more, Chris came up behind Lea, tapping her shoulder.

She whirled to face Chris. "Hey!" she greeted him, all innocence. "We were just chatting about you."

"Oh my god, Lea - we're already dating, okay? Thanks for the help, but I actually do pretty well without your matchmaking," Chris spit out in a hushed tone.

"What?" she gasped, turning to peer at Darren to see if Chris was telling the truth. "Seriously? Why did you say you're single then?"

"Go easy on him. That was my idea. I just didn't want to risk someone on set hearing and leaking it to the paparazzi." Chris looked over to see a crew member gesturing for him. "Crap, I've got to go. I don't care if our core group knows. Just try to keep it quiet if you can, okay Lea?"

"I promise, hon. Your secret's safe with me," she swore.

"Well now," Lea said, turning back to Darren, looking expectant. "I think it's time you and I got to know each other better, don't you?"

* * *

"Okay, so I'm going to introduce you to Chord now because I've got to get ready for my next scene," Lea said half an hour later, after she'd finished grilling Darren (thankfully, he'd passed with flying colors). He wasn't complaining at all about getting to meet the second hottest guy on set (after Chris, naturally). But even more than that, Chord seemed like a fairly laid back guy from the handful of interviews he'd seen and he was exhausted after the inquisition Lea had put him through. It was perfect timing.

"Hey Chord," Lea called, knocking on the door. "Are you decent in there?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Come on in," he replied.

"Hey, I've got to get into hair and makeup so Darren's going to hang out with you for a bit, okay?"

"Cool," Chord said casually, rising from the couch and extending a hand for Darren to shake. "Hey man, I'm Chord. Nice to meet you."

"Chord, this is Chris' boyfriend," Lea informed him, anticipating his reaction.

"Wait, as in our Chris?" Chord asked.

"Isn't he my Chris technically?" Darren couldn't help but joke. "Boyfriend privileges and all that."

Chord looked him up and down for a second before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Well played, dude," he said appreciatively, giving Darren a high five. Lea just stared at the two of them like they'd suddenly each grown a second head.

"You two have fun," was all she said and was gone with a quick wave.

"So how'd you two meet?" Chord asked, gesturing to Darren to have a seat on the couch.

"Uhh, I was on Chris' team f-"

"Oh, you were on Hollywood Game Night!" Chord interrupted before Darren could finish. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere."

"Yeah, that's me," Darren smiled.

"So how long have you been dating?" Darren frowned, confused. "Like I know since you met on the show but when did the episode film?"

"Oh, about three weeks ago."

"Cool, so are you a big Glee fan?" Chord asked. "You can totally tell me if you aren't. I won't be offended," he added.

"No, I definitely am – I have been since Season 1, so this is so surreal. Is it cool if I nerd out on you a little, man?" Darren asked, feeling strangely at ease with Chord.

"Yeah, go for it. Do you play Halo?" Chord asked. "That's what I was doing when you knocked."

"Of course, I love video games," Darren grinned, accepting a video game controller from Chord.

"Stick to the assault rifle and I'll take the sniper," Chord gestured at the screen. "Just try not to get us killed and you can ask me all the nerdy Glee questions you want."

* * *

Thirty minutes later and Darren had managed to pry plenty of useful information out of Chord. He'd found out that Chris was currently filming a duet with Adam Lambert, hence the extreme rocker look. Darren was waiting outside while Chord changed into his wardrobe and then they were going to watch Chris film. The thought of his sex god boyfriend in tight leather and eyeliner singing some rock ballad was enough to make Darren feel weak in the knees.

"Hey okay, let's go," Chord said a minute later, bounding out of his trailer. Darren let himself be lead to the correct soundstage, trying to breathe in every bit of the was a completely different vibe compared to the theater world he was used to.

"Wait up!" came a voice from behind them and Darren turned to see Jenna and Kevin jogging to catch up to them.

"Hey guys, this is Darren," Chord introduced him. "Darren is Chris' new boyfriend."

"No shit?" Kevin asked, studying him. "Oh yeah, you're the Hollywood Game Night guy."

"It's great to meet you," Jenna said, giving Darren a hug.

"Oh score!" Kevin cheered out of nowhere.

"What?" Chord asked, frowning.

"I just realized I won the bet about Chris' new relationship. Lea owes me $100 now."

Darren chuckled as Kevin began to dance in celebration, marveling at how easily they'd all accepted him thus far. He'd expected to feel very separate from the cast as if there was some obvious dividing line between celebrities and regular guys like himself. But so far, everyone had been incredibly friendly and sweet. It seemed as if they'd all made the collective decision that if Chris had chosen to date him, he was automatically vouched for. He just hoped he'd live up to their expectations. He _had_ asked Chord an awful lot of random trivia questions about the show (and accidentally referred to himself as Gleek once, he remembered with a cringe).

"Okay, see those chairs over there near the monitor?" Jenna asked, gesturing to the far end of the sound stage. "You can sit there. You'll be able to see what they're filming but you should be out of the camera's eye line. Just make sure you turn off your cell phone before you go in, okay?"

Darren nodded nervously. His palms began to sweat a little as he imagined all the various ways he could embarrass himself (or even worse, Chris).

Jenna smiled patiently, sensing Darren's anxiety. "It'll be fine, I promise. Want me to walk you in and show you where to go?"

"Yes please, if it's not too much to ask?" Darren croaked out.

"I was really nervous my first time on set. I totally understand."

Darren followed Jenna to his seat without incident. They were blocking and lighting the scene, so thankfully everyone's attention was focused elsewhere. He watched Chris in his element, so completely comfortable in the environment. He chatted animatedly with the director before walking back to his starting spot with Adam.

The director called quiet on the set and then they started the filming. Darren was mesmerized as Chris' posture and entire body language changed as he transformed into Kurt. There were a couple of lines of dialogue and then the music began to play. Chris lip-synced along with his vocal while performing the complicated choreography effortlessly and Darren was _mesmerized. _

* * *

"You're friends are really nice," Darren said, linking arms with Chris as they walked to his car a few hours later once he'd been released from filming.

"Yeah, they're awesome...at least 95% of the time." Chris rolled his eyes fondly.

"This is the part where you're supposed to tell me how awesome they thought I was too."

"Oh my god, are you that insecure?" Chris laughed, although not meanly.

"Duh, thought you figured that out by now." Darren took a breath before continuing. "I kinda have a tendency to come on strong though. Hopefully I didn't weird them out too much?" Darren bit his lip, kicking loose gravel with the toe of his sneaker.

"I'm sure they loved you," Chris said softly, squeezing Darren's arm. "I didn't really have a chance to ask, but I'll get their reviews tomorrow and I'm willing to bet they'll be glowing." Chris planted a quick kiss on Darren's cheek. "And more importantly, I like you."

Darren looked up, grinning widely. "You do?"

"Of course I do, idiot."

"Good, because I like you a lot."

"Even when I'm not all done up in the leather pants and rockstar makeup?" Chris teased.

Darren blushed, remembering how incredibly hot it had been to watch Chris perform on set. "I'm willing to bet you've got at least one rockstar outfit in that giant closet of yours."

"Guess we'll find out soon enough," Chris winked. "Race you home?"

"It's a date."

* * *

End Note: Because this site doesn't have the option to connect fics in an ongoing series, I'll be publishing new oneshots as chapters as they get prompted/written. However, each new chapter is designed to stand alone as a series of loosely connected stories in this alternative universe. (Hopefully that makes sense). I'm currently taking prompts in this 'verse so if you've got any, feel free to send them my way.


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